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Friday, April 21, 2017

Handwashing Tips For Kids

Washing your hands often is a good thing!

Your hands touch things all day and those things can contain germs that can make you sick. So teaching kids at an early age about proper handwashing is a good thing. Kids may not like washing their hands but it is important to keep them and others around them healthy. The first step to hand washing is helping kids understand the why. The reason for handwashing is to clean off the dirt and germs that can make us sick. I like to remind my kids about a time that they were sick and how icky they felt. Then I talk about how germs on their hands could have been to blame for making them sick. Then I teach by example of how to wash hands by washing my hands first. A good age to start teaching kids to wash hands is as early as a year. Yes, you will need to hold the child up to the sink but once they get taller, you can use a step stool by the sink to help them reach the water. You will also have to help with the soap when they are little. I like to use a liquid soap for handwashing as it is easier to use for kids. I also prefer a natural soapthat is made from plant products. This type of soap is gentler on kid's delicate skin. Live Clean Fresh Water hydrating liquid hand soap has no harsh chemicals in it that tend to dry out skin and kill the good bacteria.

When should kids wash their hands?

Before eating food

Before, during, and after preparing food

Before and after they touch a cut or wound

After using the toilet

After blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing

After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

After handling pet food or pet treats

After touching garbage

After playing outside

How should kids wash their hands?

Wet hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.

Lather the hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to show kids how to lather the backs of your hands, between fingers, and under the nails.

Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.

Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Mom-tip

To see if my kids did a good job of washing off all the dirt, I have them touch a white plastic cup with their wet hands. If the hands are still dirty then the cup will have dirt on it.

Make washing hands fun!

Buy soap with natural scents that smell good so kids will wash longer.

Make up a silly song about hand washing.

My kids loved this song when they were little.

Wash wash wash your hands. Wash them all day long

Scrub them really well and make the germs go down the drain.

What about hand sanitizer?

Hand sanitizers are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs and might not remove harmful chemicals. Hand sanitizer can also be drying to skin and it also kills the good bacteria on the hands. Kids also tend to not use sanitizer correctly and only rub it on the palm of their hands. Hand sanitizer is also harmful if swallowed.

Looking for a natural plant based soap?

Live Clean has unique 98% plant derived liquid soaps that are SLS free, phthalate free, and paraben free. They do a great job of cleaning dirt and germs off kid's hands(grownups too) and are eco-friendly. I love companies that have the environment in mind. I was sent a bottle of their Live Clean Fresh Water liquid soap and I just love the way it smells! The organic botanicals of lavender, rosemary, and chamomile gives it a nice light enjoyable scent that keeps my boys scrubbing longer. This soap has great lather too. Live Clean also makes this wonderful soap in coconut milk and argan oil. The bottles are also awesome too! Not on are they recyclable but their unique design makes it harder for my boys to tip over. Does your soap bottle always end up on the bathroom floor or in the sink?

19 comments:

I don't like using hand sanitizers too much, because as you said, they don't seem to work well on really dirty hands. This plant-based product looks good though, as I love things that are natural and not harsh for my kids.

Hand washing is so important, especially with children. They get into so much and they don't even realize it! I have four children and I am always reminding them to wash their hands. My four-year-old recently learned how to wash her hands on her own and she spends a little too much time in the bathroom playing with the water. LOL! But I am happy to see her washing her hands regularly and independently!

We have my two grandchildren over at for the day at least twice a month and it's always a challenge to keep their little hands clean and safe! Thank you for sharing so many great tips as well some good information about Live Clean hand soap!

I am so thankful that my kids are obsessed with washing their hands. I didn't know they should wash their hands that much though. I am going to have to check out this soap to keep their hands from getting dry.

My two have always found washing their hands fascinating. But when I was a childminder the amount of kids who didn't even wash their hands after using the toilet was just incredible! I spent a whole week teaching about hand washing and they soon decided they loved it. We ended up going through a ton of hand soap though! LOL

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Hi, I am Tara from sunny Albuquerque, NM

Iam a mom of five and a grandma to one. My passions are health and fitness. I am a 50+ lady who looks and feels amazing thanks to a healthy diet and exercise. Yes, that is a current photo of me! So you can count on me to share my health advice that keeps me healthy. You can find me at the gym or running outside 5 days a week. When I am not at the gym, I am busy creating healthy food in the kitchen and I love sharing my recipes. I also love sharing healthy products that I discover. My two younger boys keep me busy and love sharing toys that they enjoy. My daily smoothies and coffee keep me going.

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